Square DIY Skimmer TOTW 11-7-05

[Meric]

Well I am a sucker for DIY projects. I think I like doing the projects more than actually keeping the tank. I have custom built everything for my tank, except the tank itself.

So I have been using my DIY 5 gallon jg skimmer for about 6 months and it works great, except I have a minor problem with it. The Polycarbonate Jug is so thin that all the glue seems have started cracking and it is springing lots of small leaks. Plus it is difficult to clean.

So I have decided to built an actual acrylic skimmer from scratch. But I will be departing from the traditional round skimmers that are so often made and will build a completely square, Recirculating venturi skimmer. My target dimensions will be 8.5"X8.5"X30" . The reason behind a square skimmer is that it is much cheaper to purchase large square acrylic sheets than Cell Cast Acrylic tube that is 8+ inches in diameter. I have already purchased all the acrylic which is .177" thick. .236" thick Acrylic is more difficult to cut and manage and .125" thick seemed too thin, even though most Round Protein Skimmers are made from .125" material. All the sheets of Acrylic came out to $56.00 from usplastics.com.

I will try to document everything from this project and let you know how it turns out. Hopefully I will get the result I am looking for, and not 8 gallons of water on the floor.

[Reefland]

Do you have any concerns with the square skimmer not allowing for "smooth" water movement throughout it? In most skimmers, the water "swirls" throughout the next and I just wonder how a square neck will effect this.

[Meric]

I did have those concerns, but look at the Remora's, AquaC EV's, and PM Bullets. They all have square bodies or at least part of it is square. I have an idea on what to do for the top half that I think will work out.

[Reefland]

True, it was just my first impression as I was reading through your plans. Please do post pictures and keep us updated.

[scubadude]

The reason behind a square skimmer is that it is much cheaper to purchase large square acrylic sheets than Cell Cast Acrylic tube that is 8+ inches in diameter.

WERD!!! not to mention how much easier it is to cut/glue flat pieces versus cylinders! I think the efficiency lost by using square vs round is minimal. Cant wait to see this project happen Meric outta be a good one!

[Meric]

Recieved all my acrylic today. (2) problems surfaced. (1) the acrylic is not Cell Cast, but is Extruded, (2) they sent .226" thick acrylic, which I can't cut with my Hand held Acrylic cutter (It's a sharp knife). So to solve this problem I am going to take the pieces into my shop and have them cut there on a table saw. I do not think I will have a problem with the Extruded acrylic since I am making such a small project with it. I sure wouldn't want to build a Sump or Tank out of this stuff though, it flexes much more than Cell Cast.

So if you want cell cast acrylic do not order the Acrylite Acrylic from US Plastics. Now I know why it was so much cheaper than everyone else.

Edit: I looked up the properties on Acrylite Acrylic and it is Cell Cast, not extruded. It just seems like it flexes more than other Cell Cast acrylic I have used before.

[Meric]

Here is the acrylic after I finally cut them to size



Here is a dry test of how the Sedra 9000 will be connected.



Here is the start of the gluing process for the top half of the skimmer



More pictures to arrive soon.

The acrylic is cut to 8.5"X8.5"X12" for the top half, and 8.5"X8.5"X24" for the bottom half

[Meric]

Finally the top portion is nearly completed. I am working on building the gasket frame. It is the piece on the right. I will cement one to the upper and another to the lower cube, then place a gasket between the two layers and screw down the two halves to each other. Also I will start work on building the collection cup. It will reside inside the cube itself.

[Meric]

So here is the collection cup. This is before I glue it in place. I used the wood blocks to make sure I had .75" clearance from the edges so foam can build up and be pushed up into the cup.


Here is the completed collection cup. All I have to do is drill a hole and add a drain port. I will wet test it for leaks before putting a hole in it.

[Meric]

Notice the 12oz soda bottle next to it. Maybe I should sell it to someone who has a 300 gallon tank, and just buy a smaller one Should have this skimmer completed by Sunday. Will be able to wet test after a few days of sitting.

[underseaworld]

I have a 300 gl. tank

[Meric]

Well, I spent the entire day at the local zoo with the family, so didn't get as much done as planned. However I finished the gasket frames and drilled them. Thought I would share how you drill matching holes in an upper and lower gasket when you do not own a drill press.

First get some wood and build a frame to hold your gasket frame and drill however many evenly spaced holes you need. Notice the other piece of wood in the background also has holes.



Then place gasket frame inside the jig



Place previously drilled wood on gasket frame



Clamp, add water to holes for acrylic and drill.



Rotate frame and repeat as directed.

Hey what are you looking at!!

[Meric]

I finally finished it today. All that is left is to allow is to cure for a few days, then wet test. Hopefully it will not leak like a seive. For reference my tank stand is 32" tall. I do not have the feed hose and pump attached yet. It will attach on the left side. I used Uniseals and (1) 1.25" Bulkhead. As you can see this is clearly oversized for my 165 gallons of total water. I guess I need to convince the wife I need a bigger tank. Also the Gaskets are not installed yet. I'll be using .125" Neoprene Gasket purchased from aquaticeco.com

[Poseidon]

Holycow Meric! How tall is that PVC on the right side of the skimmer? What is that used for, and how do you support it?

[Meric]

Thats the drain. It's a Hartford Loop. I just didn't cut the top part off yet. I'll cut it down to the same height as the top of skimmer. The water goes out at the tee, but the top part of the tube is open to prevent a siphon from forming. This allows the water to stay at an steady height in the skimmer. The gate vale is to make minor height adjustments. Nothing supports it. It doesn't weigh that much, even full of water.

[doody]

Updates?

[Meric]

Here is the final product...

[Meric]

[ldrhawke]

Anymore photo's how did it finally work?

[doody]

Did you ever figure out the micro bubble prob?